CrossXFighter: Game Pitch

[OptimistNic]

I am not sure of any other place that I can think of to post an idea for a competitive Super Smash Bros-style game other than this section. I will post my ideas below:


CrossXFighter is a competitive fighting game inspired by Super Smash Bros. that aims to take the newly created "platformer/fighter" genre started by the franchise to the next level. The game will return the game's accessible mechanics and addictive gameplay engine—as well as mechanics that made competitive Smash Bros. games famous—but adds new features and mechanics that will be more familiar to the fighting game world.


Traditional 2D fighters seem to be all too similar to each other nowadays. Rigid, overly precise controls, a restrictive environment, and a distinct lack of deviation between attack inputs (Light, Medium, Heavy, etc.) make the genre fun only to a very select audience, and a tedious chore to master, resulting in most gamers to get frustrated and bored quickly. However, CrossXFighter hopes to change all that by implementing the freedom of control that we are used to from the Smash Bros. franchise. On top of that, attack inputs are never arbitrary or unnecessary, instead feeling natural to the player as they are, for the most part, context-sensitive.


Super Smash Bros. is known most for its roster of familiar Nintendo characters and environments, and the mechanics are mostly overlooked by the majority of fans. CrossXFighter will NOT appear as competition to the franchise as it features original characters, environments, music, etc. All that will make it similar is the addictive and accessible combat mechanics seen in Melee and the popular Brawl mod Project M.


New Mechanics:

• Smash Attacks are called Charge Attacks, and the damage given has been simplified by 3 levels, which can serve unique purposes on more complex characters. When a character starts up a Charge Attack, he/she briefly glows green, and initiates a Light Charge. In the middle of the charge, the character glows yellow; a Medium Charge. At the end of the charge, the character blinks red to indicate a Heavy (Full) Charge. Typically the charge levels indicate the power of the attack and only increase when each level is reached, but on complex characters the charge system can be foregone altogether in favor of their own systems. These characters may be few, however.
• Blast zones are represented by a visible red line. This allows for players to be able to read distance much easier. If a player crosses it, they will be stunned for 60 frames and then explode in light (Kid Icarus: Uprising style).
• Matches are played in Rounds, and when a player goes through the blast zone line, the round is over. The winning player is allowed to continue moving, and the losing player will teleport to their designated stage position. Similarly to Killer Instinct or Injustice, the winner's health (represented by Damage Points or DP as opposed to a percentage) will not be restored in the next round. The announcer will declare the next round, and at this time all characters will be unable to attack until the announcer begins the round.
• Wall Bounces serve a more important purpose (unspecified as of yet), but are only available on certain stages.
• Characters build up an Uber Meter. There may be 2-3 stocks on this meter. Basically, if you press both the normal and special attack buttons, you will initiate an Uber Special, which in simpler terms is an EX version of the special move, and the move’s effects vary per character, per move. An Uber Special uses 1 stock.
• Similar to Project M, a Turbo Mode will be implemented to give all characters the ability to on-hit cancel for combo-heavy fun. This is a casual feature.

Art/Setting:

• The game will use a cel-shaded, colorful style similar to games like the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm franchise to achieve a clean, pleasant art style in a 3D-modeled environment. However, not all characters will be stuck with similar proportions or facial styles.
• Because the game's characters come from different universes (which can potentially spawn their own games or other form of source material), the characters not only may look stylistically and proportionally different, but are also split into their own groups in the character selection screen. Splitting the characters by their universes can help determine the elements of a character's moveset, such as whether they use magic or weapons, or come from a distant past/future or modern day. The reason for the characters being in different universes is to potentially make character design easier for artists who work with different styles, but at the same time more varied.
• There is no story in this game that attempts to bring these characters together, as that formula has never once worked in any fighting game, for the most part. However, they may be rivalries present. There is an Adventure Mode, which takes the character to a side-scrolling beat-em-up level based off their respective universe.

(If there is enough interest I can provide information on characters I have created. I plan on commissioning either character posters or gameplay concept art.)